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Informal physics learning environments bring physicists, physics students, and public audiences together in a variety of formats. Popular events include youth camps, public lectures, and demo shows. However, these format-focused labels do not illuminate underlying factors important for the design and implementation of informal physics activities. Here, we present results from a qualitative research study to investigate the aspects of informal physics programs that are critical to their functionality. Drawing from organizational theory, we code interviews with program leaders for emergent themes within the broad categories of personnel, audience, resources, institution, and programs. The emergent themes form the basis for our developing model of key components that are necessary for informal physics programs to function. We share our current model for these key components and discuss future work to develop practitioner tools to assess programs.

AAPT WM 21

Developing A Model of Key Components of Informal Physics Programming

public engagement

informal

outreach

physics

This meeting is a great opportunity to explore sessions and workshops designed with your professional development in mind. Present your research and exchange ideas on the latest in teaching and pedagogy. Participate in a wide range of events, activities, plenaries, and so much more, connecting you with peers and colleagues who share your commitment to excellence in physics education.

AAPT WM 22

technical paper

AAPT® is a strong professional physics science society dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in physical science education.

Winter and Summer National Meetings:
These National Meetings, held each winter and summer, are opportunities for members, colleagues, and future physicists from around the world to:

- participate in physics workshops
- meet and greet other physics educators
- form networks nationally and locally
- engage exhibitors and learn about the latest physics resources
- discuss innovations in teaching methods
- share the results of research about teaching and learning.

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A preliminary analysis of research themes investigated by the PER community over the last ten years will be presented. A text-based analysis of all contributed Physics Education Research Conference (PERC) proceedings between 2010 to 2019 is analyzed to look for both emerging and thematic patterns to strategic categories such as areas of research, populations being studied, research questions/goals, and research methods. PERC proceedings were selected given the central role of PERC to the PER community. PERC proceedings represent the community across scope of projects from small to large, across stage of projects from beginning to finished, and across investigator experience from new to established researchers. The goal of this work is to provide insight into the community's history and trajectory as well as collect a databased of who is working in which strategic area to improve networking and collaboration among Physics Education Researchers.

Investigating Research Themes for The Physics Education Research Community

The affective domain of learning is one of the emerging fields in physics education research. Mindfulness is an important, but often overlooked aspect of the affective domain. The effects of mindfulness on one's mind-body have been studied in multiple disciplines including psychology and medicine. Many K-12 schools have already started to implement mindfulness practices in their curricula to foster teaching and learning practices. However, there has not been any research on this domain in physics education. We are studying the effects of short-term mindfulness sessions on students’ learning processes in physics. The participants in our study completed several five-minute-long mindfulness sessions, during which they observed their breathing objectively. The participants were assigned introductory physics problems before and after the interventions. We found that they solved the problems faster after the interventions. Our results indicate that short-term mindfulness practice may improve physics problem-solving efficiency.

Short-Term Mindfulness Intervention Improves the Efficiency of Solving Physics Problem

While these rather odd times in society continue, we still strive to bring the excitement of physics to many diverse audiences through physics demonstration shows.&nbsp; I will review the issues these efforts expose, some of the ways we can incorporate fun and informative demonstrations, and the problems one may encounter planning and performing these shows.

The Virtual Physics Demo Show: A Primer

Walking trail&nbsp;&nbsp;is &nbsp;geographically localised around&nbsp;kindergarten. Different phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;are used as&nbsp;&nbsp;trigger for education. The&nbsp;&nbsp;designed &nbsp;walk trail is a practical endorsement, where the students will use fieldwork skills, to identify &nbsp;physical phenomena&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;through&nbsp;the built environment.&nbsp;&nbsp;They view physical phenomena with&nbsp;a holistic approach, improving their ecological consciousness. We attempted to follow research steps, &nbsp;set forth by inquiry-based learning :&nbsp;a) trigger for interest, b) reminder of basic knowledge/formulation of hypotheses, c) experimentation/trials, d) formulation of conclusions, e) applications/generalization according to learning. &nbsp;

Teaching to The Child Attending Infant School, Following Walk Trail

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended how every educational organization operates.&nbsp; Outreach programs are hit especially hard, considering the potential for child-to-child virus transmission via hands-on equipment and community spread through traveling from one location to another.&nbsp; The Physics Factory (www.physicsbus.org)&nbsp;has been examining a variety of operational changes so that we can continue inspiring children with the excitement of science without endangering their health or their families. These changes will be implemented in our newly-acquired 8th Physics Bus, which will be serving Gainesville FL and surrounding communities.&nbsp; During our session we will welcome participants aboard and let you explore freely from the safety of your own home.

Mobile Physics Outreach during a Global Pandemic

We will discuss our unique approach to teaching physics in the age of COVID.&nbsp; We set up alternate tracks for our calculus-based physics course that allowed for active&nbsp;learning, introduction to scientific&nbsp;computing, and provided flexibility&nbsp;for students to attend in person classes or online classes when appropriate.&nbsp; The two tracks were outside physics in person literally on the university softball field and asynchronous online.&nbsp; We will share details of the approach as well as lessons learned.

Physics Class and Lab on the Softball Field

Lecture demonstrations are frequently noted on teaching evaluations as being an engaging part of lecture.&nbsp; However, the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) post-test indicates student retention of demonstration concepts is poor.&nbsp; Furthermore, lecture demonstrations require a significant amount of instructor preparation and time in lecture.&nbsp; Because of these issues, and limited class time in Fall 2020 due to COVID, an introductory physics class moved a portion of lecture demonstrations to independent student activities completed outside of class.&nbsp; It was hoped that students independently performing the demonstrations would increase retention of concepts. The instructor and TA’s made a “Physics Box” of supplies for lecture demonstrations, paid for by lab fees. &nbsp; Students report enjoying doing the demonstrations themselves and using the equipment in the Physics Box creatively while working quantitative problems. Nonetheless, they also reported uncertainty in their results and a desire to discuss them in class.&nbsp;

Bringing Physics Lecture Demonstrations Closer to Home

This talk will illustrate how to access several of state-of-the-art ephemerides describing the motions of the Sun, all planets and moons, and many asteroids based on fits to essentially all extant data. MATLAB scripts are illustrated which permit detailed studies such as of the impact of any planet on Earth’s motion. We address the question: Does the Earth orbit the Sun or the solar system barycenter?

Explorations of Ephemerides by First Year Physics and Astronomy Students

A simple radio telescope, built by high school teachers through an NSF-funded summer program, was used over the course of a year to measure the speed of the Earth around the Sun.&nbsp; The telescope is designed to measure the spectral signature&nbsp;of neutral hydrogen, which is pervasive in the Milky Way Galaxy. By pointing the telescope at the center of the galaxy, meant as a fixed reference point outside the Solar System, the doppler-shifted spectra taken over the course of a year was used to the measure the Earth's speed.&nbsp;&nbsp; The construction of the radio telescope, and the physics behind the experiment is well within the grasp of high school and college physics courses. The website with the radio telescope build instructions and associated&nbsp;curricula with be discussed in the presentation.

Measuring the Speed of the Earth around the Sun

A lab activity for teaching&nbsp;statistical analysis and the scientific process&nbsp;is described. This activity involves students timing sound clips of pulsars. To select the most precise timing methods and to calibrate their measurements to account for bias, students first time pulsars of known periods. Students then turn their attention to timing an unknown pulsar. Using an online database, students search for pulsars of periods within a statistically-determined range. This activity arises from the need for students to leverage the power of statistics to (1) optimize lab procedures through data-driven decision-making, (2) correct for bias through calibration, and (3) gauge the quality of their work in terms of confidence rather than correctness. This three-step process aligns lab procedures closer to industry practices and elevates cognition/engagement. This lab activity is also easily disseminated online, making it ideal for those institutions unable to meet face-to-face during the&nbsp;pandemic.

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